Winter/Spring 2012 Orororthodoxthodoxthodoxchurchurchurchchch a QUARTERLY PUBLICATION of the ORTHODOX CHURCH in AMERICA
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TheThe Volume 46 I Winter/Spring 2012 OrOrOrthodoxthodoxthodoxChurChurChurchchch A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA The Diocese of Mexico Celebrating forty years of ministry and growth! The Editorial OrthodoxChurch The Orthodox Church [ISSN 0048- Remembering 2269] is published quarterly by the Orthodox Church in America, Father John Meyendorff PO Box 675, Syosset, NY 11791-0675. His Beatitude, Jonah Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky Archbishop of Washington Metropolitan of All America and Canada uly 22, 2012, will mark the 20th anniversary of Primate of the Orthodox Church in Father John Meyendorff’s death. A better way America to speak of Father John’s repose would be to Archpriest John Matusiak say that he died “in hope of the resurrection.” Managing Editor • [email protected] These words are used in Orthodox prayers for J Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky the departed. Father John’s theological vision, Editor • [email protected] in accord with the great Christian theologians, affirmed and celebrated the dynamism of our life and our movement toward the EDITORIAL OFFICE resurrection. 570 Crescent Blvd. #506 In remembering Father John and reflecting Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 on his life and ministry, it is clear that he 630.790.1195 was a theologian of depth and a teacher of [email protected] excellence. In this he witnessed to Christ, to the Gospel, to the Orthodox Faith. He The Orthodox Church magazine exemplified intellectual integrity and identifies official statements and positions seriousness and was allergic to untruth in any of the Orthodox Church in America. All form. Theology and teaching were not other materials represent the views of their “academic” endeavors for Father John. He placed his intellect and his teaching in the authors and should not be interpreted service of the Church. In this sense, he was as much a pastor as he was a theologian and as expressing the policy of the OCA or teacher. During the years of his labors as theologian and historian, teacher and lecturer, The Orthodox Church magazine. Father John achieved respect and recognition around the world in the Orthodox Church, in the ecumenical world, and in academia. Among the Orthodox Churches, his voice articulated the vision of the Orthodox Church in America, affirming the imperative need IMPORTANT NOTE for unity and mission. In the ecumenical and academic worlds, he articulated and bore While printing of The Orthodox witness to the Orthodox vision of God’s creation and the meaning and content of human life Church has resumed, finances in light of the biblical teaching on the image and likeness of God in each human person. do not permit the mailing of As editor of The Orthodox Church newspaper for 20 years, Father John made a major contribution to public discussion of the challenges facing the Orthodox Church in America copies to individual homes, as and around the world. He saw his service as editor as a continuation of his task as teacher had been done for over four of theology and history. He knew that an educated and informed clergy and laity were decades. The current budget necessary for a healthy Church. His birth and education in France were no obstacle to his allows for the printing and bulk love for America. On the contrary, he entered fully into the experience of American distribution of approximately Orthodoxy, understanding its challenges and appreciating its gifts and possibilities. 9,500 copies, rather than the In the story of the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in America, Father John was former 26,000 individually more than a teacher and scholar. He played a key role in the negotiations which led to mailed copies. Every parish the granting of autocephaly, working closely with Father Alexander Schmemann and the other members of the team charged by the Holy Synod with the responsibility for dialogue will continue to receive a and negotiation with the Russian Orthodox Church. packet of copies in bulk for A central aspect of Father John’s thought and teaching was the calling of the Orthodox distribution locally. The Church to overcome the limitations of national, ethnic Orthodoxy through a proper number of copies a given vision and experience of the unity and universality of the Orthodox Church. This did not parish receives may not mean for him that the national and ethnic realities should be despised or rejected. It did correspond to its actual mean that the true vocation of the Orthodox Church cannot be confined to the boundaries reported membership. of ethnic and national identities. This insight guided the “creators” of the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in America, and still guides our vision of Orthodox mission in America. Visit us on-line at The various aspects of Father John’s life and ministry were complementary. Scholar and Editorial to 26 http://oca.org. 2 The Orthodox Church Winter/Spring 2012 Archpriest Daniel Kovalak That’stheSpirit “He’s Coming Back!” They returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. LUKE 24:53 he frenzy created by “more ‘ordinary’ time” in those who predicted our worship? The answer that the world would can be found in the Acts of come to an end on the Apostles. “While they T May 21, 2011 – and, were gazing into heaven as when that didn’t happen, He [Jesus] went, behold, October 21 – seems to have two men stood by them in subsided. But now a new white robes, and said, ‘Men date, December 21, 2012, of Galilee, why do you has been proposed, this stand looking into heaven? time based on an ancient This Jesus, Who was taken Central American calendar. up from you into heaven, It’s easy to dismiss such will come in the same way predictions, especially after as you saw Him go into they fail to materialize as heaven’” [Acts 1:11]. some expected. This has, in fact, been the case on numerous The “two men” referred to are angels. Whenever angels occasions throughout history. Some groups that exist to this appear in the Scriptures or in the world, extraordinary things day were actually founded around such predictions. happen. They exist to serve God and to be His messengers. So it Yet this deson’t mean there’s not something to be gained was not only the promise of Christ’s return, but it’s confirmation from prognostication. If even for a moment, we entertained the by the holy angels at the Ascension, that brought great joy to thought that there might be a hint of truth to the impending the disciples. What was that promise again? That Christ will judgment of God, a spiritual purpose will have been served. This indeed return – in the same manner as He had left. is certainly consistent with the Scriptures and teaching of the This is one of the fundamental teachings of our faith. In the Church Fathers, who encourage us to ceaselessly pray for one Creed, we profess that “He will come again in glory to judge more day, one more hour, even one more breath in order to repent. the living and the dead, Whose Kingdom shall have no end.” This is also a lesson easily applied to our present, post-Paschal Did we ever consider this article of faith to be a source of liturgical life. Forty days after His glorious resurrection, Christ “great joy” for us? It certainly was for the disciples and the early ascended in glory from the Mount of Olives. As for the apostles, Church! They could hardly wait for Christ’s return! He promised “they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually it, and they were expecting Him to fulfill His promise. And the in the temple, praising and blessing God” [Luke 24:53]. This point is, so do we! This is a cause for incredible joy! is how the Gospel of Saint Luke ends. The apostles return to “In my Father’s house are many rooms,” Christ said in John the Temple – just a good stone’s throw away – and continually 14. “If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare praise and bless God with great joy. a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I Now, really, how joyful could they have been?! The crucified will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am and risen Christ, for Whom they had forsaken everything in life you may be also.” and with Whom they had experienced so much, had virtually What great consolation, comfort, and encouragement are disappeared in a radiant cloud to return to His Father. Is this wrapped in these inspiring words! What hope they bring to our something that would provoke in them “great joy?” hectic and often troubled lives – that not only is Our Lord always How is it, then that virtually every prayer, reading, hymn, and mystically present with us, especially in the sacraments and even mention of the Ascension in the Church relates that the fellowship of His Church, but that His love extends from disciples had such “great joy?” We would think they would have generation to generation, from everlasting to everlasting – that been filled with sadness and despair, alone and abandoned. But there is a room reserved for us in His eternal Kingdom. How no – they’re full of “great joy!” desperately we need such hope in our fallen world! Some 2000 years later, we perhaps sense a bit of sadness at the This is the expectation, the anticipation, the great joy Ascension, don’t we? The past months of pre-Lent, Lent, Holy experienced by Christ’s disciples at the Ascension.